A vacuum cleaner typically comprises a main body containing dirt and dust separating apparatus, a cleaner head connected to the main body and having a suction opening, and a motor-driven fan unit for drawing dirt-bearing air through the suction opening. The suction opening is directed downwardly to face the floor surface to be cleaned. The dirt-bearing air is conveyed to the separating apparatus so that dirt and dust can be separated from the air before the air is expelled to the atmosphere. The separating apparatus can take the form of a filter, a filter bag or, as is known, a cyclonic arrangement.
Vacuum cleaners generally include cylinder, or canister, cleaners, upright cleaners and hand-held cleaners. A cylinder vacuum cleaner includes a main body supported by a set of wheels which is dragged along a floor surface by a hose and wand assembly extending between the main body and the cleaner head. The cleaner head is generally releasably attached to the end of the wand remote from the main body. An upright vacuum cleaner typically comprises a main body, a pair of wheels mounted on the main body for maneuvering the vacuum cleaner over a floor surface to be cleaned, and a cleaner head mounted on the main body. In use, a user reclines the main body of the upright vacuum cleaner towards the floor surface, and then sequentially pushes and pulls a handle which is attached to the main body to manoeuvre the vacuum cleaner over the floor surface. Upright vacuum cleaners are often also provided with a hose and wand assembly connected to the main body through which air can be drawn into the vacuum cleaner, and a changeover valve which is moveable to connect either the hose and wand assembly or the cleaner head to the fan unit depending on whether the main body is in an upright or reclined position. This enables an upright vacuum cleaner to be used in the manner of a cylinder cleaner.
A range of cleaning tools is often supplied with all types of vacuum cleaner so that a user can choose an appropriate tool for their cleaning task. These tools generally include crevice tools and brush tools. These tools can be attached to the hose and wand assembly of a cylinder or upright vacuum cleaner, or to the suction opening of a hand-held vacuum cleaner.
It is also known to provide a rotating brush tool for attachment to the hose of a vacuum cleaner. For example, the brush tool described in DE 19848787 comprises a tubular housing which is connected at one open end to the hose, and has a brush protruding from the other open end of the housing. The brush is located on one end of a shaft extending along the longitudinal axis of the housing. A turbine connected to the other end of the shaft is rotated by an air flow generated by the vacuum cleaner which passes through the housing. During use, dust and other detritus dislodged from a surface by the rotating brush can become entrained within the air flow and conveyed to the main body of the vacuum cleaner.
A problem associated with this sort of brush tool is that dust and detritus can become trapped between the fibres of the brush, resulting in the tool becoming rapidly clogged with dirt and dust. As a result, the rate of capture of dirt and dust from the surfaces to be cleaned can reduce rapidly during use of the tool. This trapped dust can only be released from the brush by subsequent manual agitation of the brush fibres following the completion of a cleaning process, releasing dust and detritus back into the atmosphere to re-settle on surfaces. Also, depending on the speed of the rotation of the brush dirt can be flung outwardly from the brush at such a velocity that it does not become entrained within the air flow generated by the vacuum cleaner.